Afghanistan Times
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AT-KABUL: A multi-city massive demonstration against the central government which had been planned by the ousted Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor has been called off.
Turning national interest above all, he said the core reason behind postponed in protests is the upcoming Kabul Process conference. However, added that he and his supporters are having firm resolve for the rally after Kabul process concluded.
Kabul will host foreign ministers and high-ranking officials of 25 countries and three international organizations on the upcoming Wednesday.
The countries that are taking part in Kabul conference would shed light over different issues, including pledge to cooperate with the Afghan government in the fight against terrorism.
“We have been asked by influential figures, civil activists, our international partners and people from different walks of society to call off the upcoming rally in Kabul,” Noor said during a press conference in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital city of Balkh.
Noor defied central government’s order to step down from governor post, but, however, President Ashraf Ghani signed resignation letter tendered by Noor himself a couple months ago. Since that there is huge friction between Ghani and Noor. Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah was also accused by Noor—once said that Abdullah was 70 to 80 percent responsible for his resignation.
During several occasions, Noor called on government to go back over his removal decision, as he would never bow down, unless his conditions met.
Since that, several round of talks between Jamiat and government members took place, but all ended without any results. Even the talks faced stalemate, as apparently both sides are not ready for compromise.
With this deadlock, Noor recently called on his supporters to get ready for massive protest across the country, including Kabul, as part of pressure on the government to reach a settlement on the issue.
The powerful regional leader, and Chief Executive of Jamiat political party, Noor, who was in post for over a decade, said the call off in protest was because of national interests.
“Our struggle with the National Unity Government is a discourse on decentralization, whilst the NUG resorts to an absolute centralized system that has created all the current problems,” Noor said in the latest event.
He said that the wave of resistance is not about governor’s seat but against rule of “a small clique and to find solutions for challenges facing our people including the conflict, poverty, inequitable development, discrimination and rising ethnic tensions.”
